Henry Ford's "Help The Other Fellow" cents

RichieURich · September 14, 2013 9:35AM

I recently purchased a set of these (copper, sterling silver, and gold-plated).

The dies were prepared in 1917, but because of the outbreak of World War I, the project was canceled. In 1963, these "coins" were struck to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Henry Ford's birth.

So, I decided to post pix of the 3 "coins" (they are uniface, except for the manufacturer's name (Wehring Detroit), and "Sterling" appears on the silver one. Enjoy!

Broadstruck · September 14, 2013 9:45AM

Neat... Wondering if these had been cut to be distributed due to some of the derogatory comments Thomas Elder made on his 1917 tokens about Ford calling him a pacifist for being against going to war?

CaptHenway · September 14, 2013 9:56AM

Charmy had one of these in her penny exonumia thread.
I just ttt'd it.

RichieURich · September 14, 2013 10:03AM

Thanks, CaptHenway!

USMoneylover · September 14, 2013 10:21AM

Cool little group there. Are they the size of a US cent?

RichieURich · September 14, 2013 10:39AM

<< <i>Cool little group there. Are they the size of a US cent? >>

Diameter is very slightly greater than a U. S. cent. Maybe they did that so they didn't get charged with counterfeiting.

mrearlygold · September 14, 2013 11:50AM

Neat!

MICHAELDIXON · September 14, 2013 1:16PM

That is something I had never seen before. I like those!

USMoneylover · September 14, 2013 2:06PM

I might still like the reeded edge racketeer nickels better

ThePennyLady · September 15, 2013 6:43AM

Very nice! I only have the copper version in my Penny Potpourri exhibit. Here's the information I have in my exhibit about this "cent":

Henry Ford’s personal motto was "Help the other fellow," so in 1917, he decided to spread his adage through a special coin designed to resemble a Lincoln penny. The company commissioned Weyhing Brothers to create a die based on a photograph of Henry at age 30 and produced a few bronze prototypes. However, Henry's wife, Clara, thought the coin should display a more current image of her husband who was 54 at the time. Before a new die was created, however, the project was cancelled when the United States entered World War I. The original die sat in storage for over 40 years.

Then, in 1963, the Ford Motor Company celebrated the centennial of Henry Ford's birth. So Weyhing Brothers dusted off the old 1917 dies and produced bronze, silver, and gold-plated versions of the coin and distributed them at various community events.

johnny9434 · September 15, 2013 6:57AM

thats a cool thing to see, many thanks

lkeigwin · September 15, 2013 9:40AM

Here's a different view of Henry Ford, A Titan of Industry -- and a Bigot. Businessweek called Ford "America's most notorious anti-semite" for much of the 20th century. And his welfare capitalism (the $5 workday, e.g.) was driven less by altruism and helping the other worker than by reigning-in heavy turnover and acquiring the best workers.

It made good business sense. Competitors followed suit, it helped the economy, and workers had more money to buy his cars.
Lance.

ricko · September 16, 2013 12:09AM

Interesting....and thanks for the history Charmy.... Cheers, RickO

Broadstruck · September 16, 2013 12:44AM

<< <i>Here's a different view of Henry Ford, A Titan of Industry -- and a Bigot. Businessweek called Ford "America's most notorious anti-semite" for much of the 20th century. And his welfare capitalism (the $5 workday, e.g.) was driven less by altruism and helping the other worker than by reigning-in heavy turnover and acquiring the best workers.

It made good business sense. Competitors followed suit, it helped the economy, and workers had more money to buy his cars.
Lance. >>

Yeah Ford was definitely not about helping the other fellow as during the Great Depression he felt that unemployment was primarily the fault of poor people and was quoted stating the following "I do not believe in routine charity. I think it a shameful thing that any man should have to stoop to take it, or give it. I do not include human helpfulness under the name of charity. My quarrel with charity is that it is neither helpful nor human. The charity of our cities is the most barbarous thing in our system with the possible exception of our prisons."

STONE · September 16, 2013 1:39AM

Cool to see two other metals used for these that I just learned about (thanks to Charmy)

Zoins · July 20, 2015 5:22PM

Just stumbled across this thread. Nice piece and slogan.

keyman64 · July 20, 2015 8:13PM

Interesting.

SaorAlba · July 20, 2015 8:29PM

Ford, ever the ardent Capitalist sold off the tooling, plans etc for the Model A truck to Soviet Russia in 1928 and then encouraged many workers to go over there and work in the GAZ plant in Russia. When the Great Depression happened many, ie about 2800 people took him up on the offer and emigrated to Russia. The great majority of them were never heard from again after about 1937. Then there was Henry Ford and Adolf Hitler, there is a whole other story.